Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Chapter 148 Reencounter with Ash

Bai Yu and Cheng Yu stood rooted to the spot, their eyes scanning their surroundings warily, trying to locate the source of the voice. However, the surroundings remained a void of darkness, devoid of any sign of life. The voice seemed to emanate from the void, or perhaps from the depths of their hearts, carrying an invisible sense of oppression.

“I can’t find it…” Bai Yu murmured softly, his brows furrowed. His intuition told him that the owner of that voice was no good person, but the other party didn’t seem to intend to show himself immediately.

“Perhaps this is just part of the test.” Cheng Yu’s voice was low and calm, his eyes filled with contemplation. He looked around, trying to find any usable clues in this empty space.

The two remained silent for a moment, then decided not to waste their energy searching for the source of the voice. They knew that since the other hadn't shown themselves, it wasn't time for a direct confrontation. Perhaps this was just a lull in the test, giving them a brief respite.

However, this rest brought no relief. On the contrary, the atmosphere between the two became extremely awkward. They stood motionless, like two statues. Bai Yu's gaze occasionally swept over Cheng Yu, a familiar feeling welling up inside him, as if they had met somewhere before. Cheng Yu also felt a strange sense of familiarity, but he did not ask.

"Perhaps... it's just an illusion," Bai Yu pondered to himself, ultimately choosing to remain silent. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings at this time, especially in this unknown environment.

Cheng Yu also remained silent, his gaze still scanning his surroundings warily, his body slightly leaning forward, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

This awkward atmosphere lasted for a long time until the entire space suddenly changed.

"Om-!"

A deep humming sound came from all directions, and then the previously empty, dark space began to change rapidly. The ground gradually became solid, and walls and ceilings appeared out of thin air, as if the entire space was being reshaped by some force.

Bai Yu and Cheng Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, and they quickly retreated, cautiously observing the changes around them. They discovered that the previously empty space was rapidly transforming into a sci-fi environment, with complex mechanical structures appearing on the walls, flashing light bands appearing on the ground, and a huge display screen hanging from the ceiling, constantly displaying various data and images.

"What... is going on?" Bai Yu murmured, a hint of shock in his eyes. He had never seen such rapid spatial changes before, as if the entire space was being reconstructed by some kind of force.

Cheng Yu was equally shocked, but his reaction was even faster. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes blazing as he intently watched the changes around him, trying to find any clues he could use.

"Watch out!" Cheng Yu suddenly shouted, lunging towards Bai Yu and shoving him aside. The next second, a huge mechanical arm suddenly extended from the ground, grazing Bai Yu's body before slamming heavily onto the ground.

"Thanks!" Bai Yu said softly, a hint of gratitude in his eyes. He knew that if Cheng Yu hadn't intervened in time, he might have been hit by that mechanical arm.

Cheng Yu nodded, a hint of wariness in his eyes: "Don't get distracted, the changes here aren't over yet."

Bai Yu clenched his fists, his eyes burning as he intently watched the changes around him. He knew that the trials to come would be even more difficult.

As the spatial changes gradually came to a standstill, the entire space transformed into a high-tech laboratory. The walls were covered with complex mechanical devices, blue light bands flickered on the floor, and a huge display screen hung from the ceiling, constantly displaying various data and images.

Bai Yu and Cheng Yu cautiously surveyed their surroundings, trying to find any clues they could use. However, just as they were about to take action, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in Bai Yu's line of sight.

"Ash?" Bai Yu's pupils contracted sharply, a surge of intense shock washing over him. He hadn't expected to encounter Ash here again.

Ash's figure hovered in the air, his body made of metal and covered with complex mechanical structures. His head was a circular display screen showing a surprised expression. Upon seeing Bai Yu, Ash quickly flew to him.

"Bai Yu? What are you doing here?" Xiao Zhi's voice was tinged with surprise and doubt. "Did you break the rules? Otherwise, no one would come here for no reason."

Bai Yu frowned slightly, a hint of wariness in his eyes: "Xiao Zhi, what are you doing here? What exactly is this place?"

A confused expression appeared on Xiao Zhi's screen: "This is the core space of the Smart Core City. Only those who break the rules are brought here to be tested and executed. What exactly did you do?"

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside Bai Yu. He knew he hadn't broken any rules, yet he'd been inexplicably pulled into this space. This made him feel uneasy.

“I didn’t break any rules.” Bai Yu’s voice carried a hint of suppressed anger. “It was that black-robed robot who pulled me in.”

A surprised expression appeared on Ash's screen: "Black-robed robot? You mean the 'Guardian'? How did he pull you in here?"

"Guardian?" Bai Yu frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "You mean, that black-robed robot is the guardian of the Smart Core City?"

Xiao Zhi nodded, and a serious expression appeared on the screen: "Yes, he is the guardian of Zhihe City, responsible for maintaining the city's rules. If he brings you in, it means you have violated some rule."

A strong sense of crisis welled up in Bai Yu's heart. He knew he had to find a way out as soon as possible, otherwise he might be trapped here forever.

"Xiao Zhi, can you help me get out of here?" Bai Yu's voice was tinged with urgency.

Ash's screen displayed a hesitant expression: "I can try, but you must pass the test first."

"A test?" Bai Yu frowned slightly, a hint of wariness in his eyes. "What kind of test?"

A serious expression appeared on Xiao Zhi's screen: "This is the core space of Zhi Core City. Only by passing the test can you leave. The content of the test will change based on your behavior, but in any case, you must abide by the rules."

A strong sense of crisis welled up in Bai Yu's heart. He knew he had to find a way to pass the test as soon as possible, otherwise he might be trapped here forever.

"So what should we do now?" Bai Yu's voice was tinged with urgency.

Ash's screen displayed a thinking expression: "First, you must find the entrance to the challenge. Then, complete the challenge according to the prompts."

Bai Yu clenched his fists, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at Xiao Zhi: "Where is the entrance to the trial?"

A directional arrow appears on Ash's screen: "Follow me."

Bai Yu and Cheng Yu exchanged a glance, a tacit understanding flashing in their eyes. They knew that only by joining forces could they possibly pass this test.

"Let's go," Bai Yu said softly, a hint of determination in his eyes.

Cheng Yu nodded, a hint of wariness in his eyes: "Be careful, the changes here are not over yet."

The two followed Ash towards the entrance to the trial. The entire space continued to change; the mechanical devices on the walls emitted a low hum, the light strips on the ground flickered with blue light, and the displays on the ceiling constantly displayed various data and images.

Led by Xiao Zhi, Bai Yu and Cheng Yu quickly arrived at a spacious room. There was a door on each of the four walls of the room, plus the door they had entered through, making a total of four doors. Each door was tightly closed, its panels engraved with intricate symbols, emitting a faint glow, giving the room a mysterious and oppressive atmosphere.

Instead of immediately explaining the purpose of the doors, Ash led them directly to the center of the room. The floor was covered with smooth metal plates, and a cylindrical device suddenly rose from the center. Its surface was covered with intricate patterns, and a transparent crystal was embedded at the top, shimmering with a faint light.

"This is an identity registration device." Xiao Zhi's voice was calm and mechanical, and a simple prompt symbol appeared on the screen. "You just need to place your hands on the pillar, and it will automatically register your identity information."

Bai Yu and Cheng Yu exchanged a glance, both with a hint of wariness in their eyes. Although they were skeptical of Xiao Zhi's explanation, they had no better choice at the moment. Bai Yu reached out first, placing his palm on the surface of the pillar. The crystal at the top of the pillar glowed slightly, then emitted a soft light that enveloped Bai Yu's hand.

"Identity entry in progress..." Pillar emitted a mechanical voice, but before it could finish speaking, Ash suddenly interrupted it.

"Don't wait for it to talk nonsense, just input it directly." Xiao Zhi's voice was a little impatient, and an urging emoticon appeared on the screen.

Pillar's voice abruptly stopped, as if abruptly cut off. The atmosphere in the room instantly turned icy, and the light on the walls flickered faintly, as if some kind of emotion was spreading through the space. Bai Yu and Cheng Yu simultaneously felt an invisible pressure, as if the entire room was expressing its displeasure at Xiao Zhi's interruption.

"Is this guy... trying to get us killed?" Bai Yu glanced at Xiao Zhi out of the corner of his eye, pondering to himself. Cheng Yu also frowned, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

However, their worries did not last long. The atmosphere in the room quickly returned to normal, the light on the walls stabilized again, and the crystal at the top of the pillar continued to shimmer with a soft light.

"Identity entry complete." Zhu Zi's voice sounded again, still mechanical and calm, as if the "emotional fluctuation" had never happened.

Bai Yu withdrew his hand, a hint of doubt in his eyes. He looked at Xiao Zhi, trying to find some clues on the other's screen, but Xiao Zhi's expression remained calm, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

"Next, you need to choose a door to enter," Ash's voice sounded again, and a directional arrow appeared on the screen. "These three doors are the assessment channels, and behind each door is an independent testing space. You can choose to enter the same door together, or you can enter different doors separately. However, even if you choose the same door, you will not enter the same environment."

Bai Yu frowned slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes: "So, we can't help each other during the trial?"

“Yes.” A positive expression appeared on Ash’s screen. “The trials behind each door are independent, and you cannot meet or cooperate in the trials.”

Cheng Yu's eyes held a hint of wariness: "Then the trials behind these doors... could they be dangerous?"

Ash's screen displayed a serious expression: "These doors are not only testing channels, but also execution channels. If you fail the test, you may be trapped inside forever, or even... be directly eliminated."

A strong sense of crisis surged within Bai Yu and Cheng Yu simultaneously. They knew that the trials to come would be fraught with unknown dangers, but they had no other choice.

"In that case, let each of you choose a door." Bai Yu's voice carried a hint of determination, his gaze sharp as he stared intently at the three doors before him.

Cheng Yu nodded, a hint of determination in his eyes: "Okay, let's each be careful."

Without saying anything more, the two walked towards different doors. Bai Yu chose the left door, while Cheng Yu chose the right. Xiao Zhi hovered in the air, a complex symbol displayed on the screen, as if recording something.

"Good luck to you." Ash's voice carried a hint of mechanical indifference before disappearing into thin air.

Bai Yu stood before the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open. Behind the door was a pitch-black space, like a gigantic mouth waiting to devour him. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

Cheng Yu also pushed open the door he had chosen. Behind the door was a space shimmering with a faint light, as deep as the starry sky. He glanced back at Bai Yu's back, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, before stepping inside as well.

---

The moment Bai Yu stepped into the darkness, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly. He found himself standing on a desolate plain, the sky overcast and filled with dark clouds, a sense of oppression permeating the air. On the distant horizon, a massive black castle could be vaguely seen, its top shimmering with an eerie red light.

"Is this the test?" Bai Yu murmured to himself, a hint of wariness in his eyes. He looked around, trying to find any clues he could use, but there was nothing but barren land and a gloomy sky.

Just then, a low buzzing sound suddenly reached his ears. Bai Yu quickly turned around and saw a huge mechanical beast rushing towards him from a distance. The mechanical beast's body was made of metal, its surface covered with sharp spikes, and its eyes flashed red, like a bloodthirsty beast.

"As expected, the test won't be that simple." Bai Yu clenched his fists, and the power within him erupted rapidly. He knew he had to deal with this mechanical beast as soon as possible; otherwise, the trials to come would be even more difficult.

"Come on!" Bai Yu roared, his body suddenly charging towards the mechanical beast, his fist whistling through the air as he slammed it down on the beast's head.

---

At the same time, Cheng Yu entered his own trial space. He found himself standing in a dense forest, the trees tall and thick, with a faint light shining through the branches and leaves. The air was filled with a fresh scent, like an unpolluted paradise.

However, Cheng Yu did not let his guard down. He knew that although the forest seemed peaceful, unknown dangers must be lurking within.

"What exactly is this test?" Cheng Yu murmured to himself, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He looked around, trying to find any clues he could use, but there was nothing there except trees and light.

Just then, he heard a soft footstep. Cheng Yu quickly turned around and saw a tall, wolf-beastman slowly emerging from the depths of the forest. The wolf-beastman's gaze was cold and sharp, and he held a long sword that gleamed with a chilling light in his hand.

"Is this...my test?" Cheng Yu frowned slightly, a hint of wariness in his eyes. He knew he had to defeat this opponent as soon as possible; otherwise, the trials to come would be even more difficult.

"Come on!" Cheng Yu roared, his power erupting rapidly as he charged towards the wolf-beastman, his fist whistling through the air as he slammed it into the beastman's chest.